Bridle for horses.



No. 845,004. PATENTED FEB. 19, 1907.

S. P KNUT. BRIDLE FOR HORSES.

APPLICATION FILED JUNE 12, 1902.

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. UNITED STATES PATENT QFFICE.

BRIDLE FOR HORSES.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Feb. 19, 1907.

Application filed June 12. 1902. Serial No. 111,402.

To all w/wm/ it may concern:

Be it known that I, SARGEANT PRENTISS KNUT, a citizen of the United States, residing at Natchez, in the county of Adams and State of Mississippi, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Bridles for Horses; and I do hereby declare the following to be a full, clear, and exact description of the invention, such as will enable others skilled in the art to which it appertains to make and use the same.

This invention relates to a bridle for controlling horses with or without the aid of a pulling-bit of any ordinary or suitable form. '1 he bridle has a nose-holding device which is, connected with proper reins, and if a pulling-bit is used separate reins are connected with the said bit, or the same reins may be connected with both the nose-holding device and the pulling-bit, with or without any known or suitable means for allowing the pressure to be applied to the nose-holding device before it is applied to the pulling-bit, or conversely. Such means being known in this relation, need not be herein described.

Preferably, when a pulling-bit is used separate reins are employed for the nose-holding device and the said bit, respectively. W here, therefore, in the claims at the end of this specification mention is made of reins connected with the nose-band and reins connected with the pulling-bit or other like expression is used, the said reins may be the same or separate lines. Checlestraps can be used when desired but the word reins, as hereinafter employed, refers always to lines extending transverse to the head of the horse for pulling the same at the will of the rider or driver. 'lhey (or more or less of them) may run through martingales or not, as preferred.

'ihe expression pulling-bit is used in a broad way to include a bit for horsebackriding, leading, or other purpose, as well as for controlling a horse when hitched to a ve- In fact, it is as a riding-bridle that my invention is more particularly, although not exclusively, designed. It (and every part thereof) is intended to be secured for all the uses to which it may be applicable.

Heretofore nose-holding bridles have been made or. proposed but so far as I am aware they have not proved satisfactory, for one reason, as I believe, because they have not been properly arranged, fitted, and secured.

In accordance with the present invention the following features, severally and collectively, are employed:

First. A rigid nose-band is used which is shaped to embrace the frontal bone of the horse in such manner that his head can be pulled in or to the right or left by the pressure of said nose-band upon the front or upon one side or the other of said frontal bone rather than upon the adjacent fleshy parts of the head, the portions of said rigid nose-band which overlie the nose-passages of the horse being shaped to avoid closing said passages when the nose-band is pulled upon.

Second. In combination with a rigid noseband, shaped as just described, use is made of a retainingbit, which is connected with the ends of the nose-band and which maybe of any suitable material in any suitable form; but it is best made of rigid material in the form of a bar. Such rigid bar acts not only to prevent the displacement ofthe nose-band, but also to hold apart the ends of the same.

Third. In order to remove the pressure of the nose-band from the point where it crosses the frontal bone of the horse and where said pressure (unless distributed) might make a sore spot, a rigid piece is used which extends longitudinally along said frontal bone both below and above the nose-band and which is shaped in conformity with the profile of said frontal bone. The combination of a soshaped rigid longitudinal piece with a rigid nose-band shaped as above described constitutcs a special improvement; but its combination with the nose-band of a nose-holding bridle in general having a retaining-bit connected at its opposite ends with the ends of said band and also having reins connected with the ends of said band and pulling directly upon the same is also within this feature of the invention.

Fourth. As so far described the bridle inflicts no pain on the horse; but the rider, or driver,) if sufficiently strong, can pull his head into his chest, and thereby compel him to stop or to choke, (by the curvature of the neck ole-sing the windpipe.) A further improvement consists in providing the bridle with a spherically-concaved presser arranged to bear upon the cartilaginous formation at the end of the frontal bone. This cartilaginous formation is sensitive and delicate to the touch, and the presser is so adjusted that when the reins are strongly pulled itbears against the said formation. The horse must consequently either respond to the touch or ICO suffer pain. With a'little training horses can be brought to respond readily to the bridle. The spherical or dish-shaped formation of the cavity in the presser is important,

advisable to dispense therewith, particularly if the horse has sharp teeth or a sore mouth. Pullers and runaways, I believe, become such because the bit (pulling-bit) presses the tongue against sharp teeth or bad teeth. The horse runs away to get rid of the pain, and he soon becomes a puller by habit. Although a pullingbit may be present it does not necessarily have to be used when my nose-holding bridle is employed therewith, and it may generally be preferred, therefore, to have it for emergency use, but it is believed that it may prove desirable to employ a pulling-bit as an auxiliary to the noseholder or even as the ordinary controlling device, the nose-holder being reserved for auxil'i'ary or emergency use.

The invention also includes the parts, improvements, or combinations hereinafter set forth.

In the accompanying drawings what is considered the best mode of carrying the in vention into effect is illustrated.

Figure 1 is a side view of my new or improved bridle applied to a horses head. Figs. 2, 3, 4c, 5, and 6 are respectively a perspective view, a front view, a back view, a view in longitudinal section on line A A of Fig. 3, and a view in transverse section on lineB B of Fig. 3 of the main portions of the bridle, the pulling-bit being shown in Fig. 2, but otherwise the headstall, reins, and pulling-bit being omitted; and Figs. 7 and 8 are plan views of patterns made of the profile and cross-section, respectively, of the head of the horse to which the bridle is to be fitted.

The headstall is of any ordinary or suitable construction. As shown, it has a crownpiece a, throat-latch b, brow-band c, and cheek-straps d and 6, connected, respectively, with the retaining-bit f and pulling-bit g. The cheek-straps e are formed, as shown, by the ends of the same strip of leather which overlies the crown-piece a, while the cheekstraps d and throat latch b are in one piece with the crown-piece a, but the construction of the headstall may be varied indefinitely, as it forms no part of the invention and the illustration is only by way of example.

The nose-band h is composed of or contains a rigid piecesay of steel or other metal. At the front between the points 2 and 3 it is fitted to embrace snugly the frontal bone of the horse; but beyond the said points on either side it is widened out as compared with the contourpof the horses head, so as not to stop the animals wind when the nose-band is pulled. The noseband, as shown, has a cover of leather, which l serves to connect it at each end through a ring 'i with the corresponding rein In order to secure the best results, the noseband should be conformed with a cross-secl tion of the head of the individual horse which l is to wear the bridle. For example, a card board pattern It, Fig. 8, can be made and used to work by. The pattern is fitted to the horses head, and then the parts beyond the points 2 and 3 are cut away to widen out the band where it crosses the nasal passages of the horse. The dotted line,'Fig. 8, in connection with the full line between the points 2 and 3 represents the contour or outline (in cross-section) of the horses head. i The retaining-bit f, which is most advantageously in the form of a rigid bar, is connected with the ends of the nose-band 1, the connection being preferably made by the rings t. The connection is such that when the reins j are pulled the retaining-bit cannot be pulled against the horses lower jaw to resist the pull; but the force of said pull is applied to the nose-band h.

The rigid frontal piece m extends lengthwise of the frontal bone of the horses head and conforms with the profile of said bone. As shown, it is of metal covered w th leather, and the leather cover terminates at the top in a strap which is connected with the crown. piece a.

To secure the best results, the piece m is fitted to the individual animal which is to wear the bridle. To. this end a cardboard pattern n, Fig. 7, of the profile of the horses head can be made and followed in shaping the frontal piece m. 4 I

The nose-band 7b is also provided with the spherically-concaved presser p, which is best formed at the end of the frontal piece m, as. shown. By having the presser concaved in the form of a sphere or shape of a dish the effect is to crowd the cartilage together as well as to press upon the same, and of course the resemblance to a spherical concavity need be no more than suffices to accomplish said effect. The pulling-bit g is provided with reins. Those shown at g are separate from the reins of the nose-band 7L.

The manner of using the bridle will be understood from the preceding description. It may not be amiss to add, however, that the proper object of the rider (or driver) being to advisable to pull on the nose-band with greater strength or more continuously than the proper instruction of the animal may demand. If it should be desired to omit the pulling-bit 9, it can be removed from the.

bridle with its reins g and cheek-straps e.

control and not to punish the horse it is not I claim as my invention or discovery 1. A nose-holding bridle having a rigid nose-band which is shaped to embrace snugly the frontal bone of the horse and which is widened out as compared with the contour of the horses head Where it passes over his nose passages, and also having reins connected with the ends of said nose-band, substantially as described.

I 2. A nose-holding bridle having a rigid nose-band which is shaped to embrace snugly the frontal bone of the horse, the same having that close conformity with the contour of the said bone which results from its being specially fitted to the individual animal which is to wear. the bridle, and which is widened out as compared with the contour of the horses head where it passes over his nosepassages, and also having reins connected with the ends of said nose-band, substantially as described.

3. A nose-holding bridle having a rigid noseband which embraces snugly the frontal bone of the horse and which is widened out as compared with the contour of the horses head where it passes over his nose-passages, and also having reins connected with the ends of said nose-band, and a retaining-bit also connected with said ends, substantially as described. v

4. A nose-holding bridle having a rigid. nose-b and which embraces snugly the frontal bone of the horse and which is widened out where itpasses over his nose-passages, and also having reins connected with the ends of said nose-band, and a retaining-bit in the form of a rigid bar connected also with said ends, substantially as described.

5. A nose-holding bridle having a rigid nose-band and reins connected with the ends of said band, which latter is shaped to embrace snugly the frontal bone of the horse and is widened out as compared with the contour of the horses head where it passes over his nose-passages and is provided with a rigid piece shaped to conform with the profile of the horses frontal bone and extending along said bone both below and above the nose-band, substantially as described.

6. A nose-holding bridle having a nose- 1 band, a retaining-bit connected at its opposite ends with the ends of said nose-band, reins connected with the ends of said band and pulling directly upon the same, and a rigid piece extending along the frontal bone of the horse above and below said band and conformed with the profile of said bone, said piece constituting an extended seat or bear- 1 ing above said nose-band and so serving to distribute the pressure of said reins to said frontal bone for a distance above said noseband as well as at and below the same, substantially as described. i

7. A nose-holding bridle having a noseband, a rigid piece extending along the frontal bone of the horse both below and above the nose-band andconfornied with the profile of his said bone, a retaining-bit in the form of a rigid bar connected with the ends of said noseband, and reins connected with the ends of said nose-band, substantially as described.

8. A nose-holding bridle having a noseband, a sphericallyconcaved presser arranged to bear upon the cartilaginous formation at the end of the horses frontal bone, and reins connected with the ends of said nose-band, substantially as described.

9. A nose-holding bridle having a rigid nose-b and which is shaped to embrace snugly the frontal bone of the horse and which is widened out as compared with the contour of the horses head where it passes over his nosepassages, and also having reins connected with the ends of said nose-band and pulling directly upon the same, a pulling-bit, and reins connected with the ends of said pullingbit, substantially as described.

10. The combination of a spherically-concaved cartilage-presser, with reins, and intermediate connections, so that said presser can be pulled by said reins against the cartilaginous formation at the end of the frontal bone of a horse, substantially as described.

- In testimony whereof I affix my signature in presence of two witnesses.

SARGEANT PRENTISS KNUT.

Witnesses:

ALBANUs S. T. JonNsoN, HORACE F. CLARK. 

